Should you pay for Condiments ? it’s totally reasonable to charge £2 for mayo and ketchup

[Scott Tracy]

23 hours ago, Social Media said:

Let me add an unpopular opinion to the opprobrium. Back off, penny pinchers. Ketchup doesn’t come for free just because you decided to dine at Stein’s. It’s a product like any other, and it comes with a price. Why should Stein, or any other restaurant, have to pay it?

An unpopular opinion is what this is. What would be classified as 'extra messing' in the military, should be added up front to the price of the meal, not by per portion. The punter pays always, but it's about optics. Soon there will be items on the bill saying cover charge, plate charge, cutlery charge, electric charge, portion of rent, Labour charge... The list is endless. Factor it all in to the bill without detailing it, and the punter will pay. It's the extras that piss people off. Same for tipping. Add 20% to the price of the meal, make sure staff are paid a reasonable wage and let people choose to tip. 

[Scott Tracy]

Or being your own condiments, see how he likes that...

[Scott Tracy]

23 hours ago, LaosLover said:

In NYC, they tried charging for chips and salsa in a Mex place, under the libertarian logic that if you didn't want chips and salsa, you shouldn't have to subsidize those who do.

 

Libertarian problem: No price diff between free salsa places and libertarian fantasy model places, as always.

 

Today: Free Chips and Salsa in 95% of restaurants. 

 

If you want to charge for something that is customarily provided for free, it has to be super-premium.

 

I'd pay extra for small-batch ketchup that been aged in a barrel or something.

 

In the UK, Pubs offer premium tonic in a little bottle to go with your gin. In Manhattan, you can spend $20 for a very nice bowl of bar nuts -we're talking only 35% peanuts. It's nearly impossible to find a Mex place that doesn't want to do table-side guacamole for you.

 

Up-charge options seem popular with the young. And restaurant margins are tight. This is the future.

Free, my armpit.... It's factored into the price of every meal. You pay whether you have them or not. Good grief.

[Scott Tracy]

There has always been a charge for those item .

Salt and vinegar is free and cheap ketchup if you're lucky 

 

See above. Nothing is free. It only appears to be. 

[Kalasin Jo]

On 9/15/2023 at 1:02 PM, Social Media said:

if you don’t want to pay upwards of £20 for fish and chips, why don’t you just… go somewhere else?

In fact, why not make your own and buy nice big bottles of ketchup and vinegar, a jar of tartare sauce, a tin of mushy peas, if these float your boat? That's what I do these days.

Chips too, not the frozen in a bag ones but potatoes hand cut by me to the size I want, cooked to the crispness I want. No deep fat fryer for me. I use a large wok. Perfect. The house does smell of cooking oil for a while though ????

I don't know about Padstow these days but I do know you can get chippy fish and chips to take out for around £12 in England... I used to visit Padstow for holidays annually with the kids 30 + years ago. Steins was very upmarket, very expensive even then, but  enjoyable. I went with a mate once who likes beer by the pint, to his consternation they would only serve him by the half. Posh, you see. After some comments my mate got over it and enjoyed his meal. Then I understand Stein virtually bought up Padstow, opening a bistro, a deli and it seems from the article a chippy. Anyway if you can afford to pay £20 up for fish and chips, why begrudge an extra couple of quid for sauces? Would people moan if he charged £22 with " free" sauces ? And I thought his wife got all these businesses as part of the deal when he traded her in for a younger model ( as some of us do).

[Kalasin Jo]

Next they'll be charging extra for sugar in your tea or coffee. 

 

Restaurateurs and celebrity chefs had it so good for so long as eating out, not in, took off with a whimper at first, then a roar. Just look  at Stein, his Padstow empire and TV shows. Jamie Oliver, that sweary former rugby player. All had chains of restaurants and TV shows. And in the UK all those eager staff from the newer EU member states to service them  Now in the UK at least the going has got very tough for them. Cost of raw materials, of energy, can't get the staff. Not really that sad for them. <deleted> happens. Be it a war, a pandemic.  But worse if they or their clientele voted for it. Yeah, I'm talking brexit.

[GinBoy2]

Now I haven't visited the UK for many years, but 20 pounds for fish and chips, thats almost $30.

 

Now I like British fish and chips, but for $30 I could buy a pretty good main course at a good restaurant.

 

Fish and chips is just that, it's pretty much the same wherever you go

 

Apart from the outrage about condiments, I'd be outraged at the fact that anyone can get away with charging $30 for fish and chips in the first place!

[Speedhump]

8 hours ago, ChipButty said:

I watched a guy one night order a plate of chips then preceded to use a full bottle of mayonnaise on his chips so that's 70 baht for the chips and over 100 baht's worth of mayonnaise, that's abusing it.

There will always be one or two who abuse the privilege. My friend would have no compunction in confronting them and be happy to lose their custom! ????

[ChipButty]

1 minute ago, Speedhump said:

There will always be one or two who abuse the privilege. My friend would have no compunction in confronting them and be happy to lose their custom! ????

I think I would be giving them a mouthful, 

[Reginald Prewster]

Well, in almost every fast food shop in Germany it was common that the Mayonaise or Ketchup on the fries were 30 cent on top... 

But 2 GBP is a bit odd isn't it?

 

On the other hand in Pattaya Darkside I was watching customers having a cheap breakfast with lots of cold meats, eggs, bread and rolls for 169 baht. 

 

The owner to please his customers, imported a special Mustard brand in tubes and there were customers that went through a half tube for one breakfast.

The waitress could later take a yellow plate from the table, but these customers took it as their right to take as much they want. 

To charge these greedy selfish customers came right away in my mind, considering standart European Mustard is already 170 baht a 200 gram glass/tube..

[Iamloki]

Charge for ketchup!? Dear restaurant owner... you can't be THAT cheap!

If it's special and on the menu with a cost... Okay... maybe.

 

Things like normal condiments - salt, pepper, (fish sauce in LOS) ketchup etc. etc...

No way. If your margins are that tight, increase the prices, increase your efficiencies etc... DON'T act like an airline.

[Captain Monday]

On 9/15/2023 at 2:07 PM, dingdongrb said:

I thought it was odd the first time I was charged for a bucket of ice at a restaurant here in Thailand. But now it appears normal.

 

I wonder when restaurants in the west will start charging for restroom use? How about charging for paper napkins or maybe a rental charge on utensils? 

 

Condiments should be like others items such as employee wages, overhead, cooking oil, salt/pepper, etc......  all rolled into the cost of the product/service. Itemizing it is just asking for trouble.

I think sit down resutorans in US must offer restrooms due sanitary regs.

 

As long as it is clearly marked on the bill of fare who cares if they charge for ketchup?

 

I would just go elsewhere. I do not tip for takeout either.

Edited September 16, 2023 by Captain Monday

[thaibeachlovers]

On 9/15/2023 at 6:15 PM, n00dle said:

more like £4.

 

I think the charge is more for the aioli and curry, i can see charging for houseemad sauces, condiments like ketchup, no. 

If he employs a saucier to make sauces on the premises it might be acceptable, but just buying commercial sauce it's taking the mickey to charge 2 quid.

Anyway, it's not just places like that- I've bought a Macs burger without realising they were going to charge me per sachet! Apparently different Macs can do so if they wish. After that I took to taking my own bottle of sauce with me. Perhaps it would be worth a one time visit to the OP place just to make a production of using my own sauce to rub it in his face.

Guy I know bought a takeaway and provided free tomato sauce- got heaps more customers because of that.

[thaibeachlovers]

10 hours ago, Reginald Prewster said:

Well, in almost every fast food shop in Germany it was common that the Mayonaise or Ketchup on the fries were 30 cent on top... 

But 2 GBP is a bit odd isn't it?

 

On the other hand in Pattaya Darkside I was watching customers having a cheap breakfast with lots of cold meats, eggs, bread and rolls for 169 baht. 

 

The owner to please his customers, imported a special Mustard brand in tubes and there were customers that went through a half tube for one breakfast.

The waitress could later take a yellow plate from the table, but these customers took it as their right to take as much they want. 

To charge these greedy selfish customers came right away in my mind, considering standart European Mustard is already 170 baht a 200 gram glass/tube..

Easily solved. Provide free mustard in a small dish and if they want a refill charge for that.

[ChipButty]

7 minutes ago, thaibeachlovers said:

Easily solved. Provide free mustard in a small dish and if they want a refill charge for that.

Im guessing thats what will be happening in a place we go to for a breakfast, they removed the HP sauce off the table and when I asked for it they brought it in a small dish, I didn't ask for more at that time, make me wonder would I be charged for the next one, 

[thaibeachlovers]

11 minutes ago, ChipButty said:

Im guessing thats what will be happening in a place we go to for a breakfast, they removed the HP sauce off the table and when I asked for it they brought it in a small dish, I didn't ask for more at that time, make me wonder would I be charged for the next one, 

Not necessarily. Same as Macs etc that provide free sauce in a pump box but give tiny pots to put the sauce in. Can fill as many times as you like for free, but a hassle to do so.

 

There was a fish and chip place in Pattaya that advertised free refills of tartar sauce, so I went there to eat. Unfortunately the ( farang ) owner was such a <deleted> that I never went back.

[5davidhen1]

About 2-2 1/2 years ago I visited a German-owned restaurant in Bang Saray. I think it was called "Fisherman's Garden." It was almost the first restaurant I encountered when entering the beach road.

My GF and I ordered meals and drinks, with ice. The drinks came from a different part of the restaurant from where the food did. I had to pay separately for the drinks --- and was charged extra (THB 10 I think) for the ice.

Cheap Charlies, in Jomtien charges THB 20 for a very small portion of mint sauce, so I now take my own jar when having roast lamb. Unfortunately, no matter how many times I ask them to cook the veg a bit more (I'm sure that they just "show the veg some hot water" before plating it) it has never improved. 

My allegiance has largely now moved to "Gold Monkey" at the beach road end of Chaiyaphroek Road. This venue was formerly called "Gold Monkey 2" (GM 1 was in the Jomtien Beach Condominium complex) but has been under new ownership/management since earlier in the year.

Their daily specials are all THB 99 (no loyalty card payment required) and are excellent value. They don't currently offer roast lamb but their Sunday roast, consisting of pork and chicken is accompanied by a variety of properly cooked veg. A particularly nice part of the meal is a crispy Yorkshire pudding (CC's are always soggy) filled with cauliflower cheese.

[n00dle]

56 minutes ago, 5davidhen1 said:

About 2-2 1/2 years ago I visited a German-owned restaurant in Bang Saray. I think it was called "Fisherman's Garden." It was almost the first restaurant I encountered when entering the beach road.

My GF and I ordered meals and drinks, with ice. The drinks came from a different part of the restaurant from where the food did. I had to pay separately for the drinks --- and was charged extra (THB 10 I think) for the ice.

Cheap Charlies, in Jomtien charges THB 20 for a very small portion of mint sauce, so I now take my own jar when having roast lamb. Unfortunately, no matter how many times I ask them to cook the veg a bit more (I'm sure that they just "show the veg some hot water" before plating it) it has never improved. 

My allegiance has largely now moved to "Gold Monkey" at the beach road end of Chaiyaphroek Road. This venue was formerly called "Gold Monkey 2" (GM 1 was in the Jomtien Beach Condominium complex) but has been under new ownership/management since earlier in the year.

Their daily specials are all THB 99 (no loyalty card payment required) and are excellent value. They don't currently offer roast lamb but their Sunday roast, consisting of pork and chicken is accompanied by a variety of properly cooked veg. A particularly nice part of the meal is a crispy Yorkshire pudding (CC's are always soggy) filled with cauliflower cheese.

Wow. Alot to be unpack there. It's like the balloon chasers of days gone by are back.

[ChipButty]

I just noticed this morning in Tops a jar of Kraft mayonnaise 167 baht, 

[Nick Carter icp]

7 hours ago, ChipButty said:

Im guessing thats what will be happening in a place we go to for a breakfast, they removed the HP sauce off the table and when I asked for it they brought it in a small dish, I didn't ask for more at that time, make me wonder would I be charged for the next one, 

H.P sauce is 180 Baht for a bottle in Thailand , if someone puts a lot on their dinner, it could add 60 Baht to a meal in H.P sauce costs .

[bkkcanuck8]

On 9/16/2023 at 1:09 PM, Scott Tracy said:

Or being your own condiments, see how he likes that...

I have been known to bring some malt vinegar with me - use to do that when working in the US... whenever I knew I was going to have fries... (Canadian - grew up on white vinegar and salt on fries).

[bkkcanuck8]

1 hour ago, ChipButty said:

I just noticed this morning in Tops a jar of Kraft mayonnaise 167 baht, 

Sunflower oil (bout 95baht / litre), egg yolk (eggs not very expensive), and some dijon mustard... can be had for much cheaper... for basic mayo... (or add wasabi for wasabi mayo) don't need to buy expensive mayo... especially if you are a restaurant... you could even just make some and throw it into the Kraft mayo jar if you want at a restaurant...

Edited September 17, 2023 by bkkcanuck8

[KhunLA]

Can't wait till I order a burger and they ask if I want that on a bun ...

... 30 baht more for bun

... 10 ketchup

... 10 mayo

... 10 mustard

... 30 lettuce/tomato/onion

... 30 per slice of cheese

... 10 salt/pepper

Paying for condiment ... that will never happen ????

[riclag]

Theres a shop in Udon T

on the corner of soi falang

that charged extra for jam and butter with my toast!

Ive been in the restaurant business 

before and I understand about the cost!

I would never itemize these on a customer check bin.

 

[ChipButty]

2 hours ago, KhunLA said:

Can't wait till I order a burger and they ask if I want that on a bun ...

... 30 baht more for bun

... 10 ketchup

... 10 mayo

... 10 mustard

... 30 lettuce/tomato/onion

... 30 per slice of cheese

... 10 salt/pepper

Paying for condiment ... that will never happen ????

We went to an Italian restaurant one Sunday lunch and looking to see what I fancy, OK I'll have that Spaghettis Bolognaise seems reasonable price I forget what the midget ordered, 

Everything was fine enjoyed the food, then we got the bill the Spaghetti was extra, how the <deleted> you work that out I asked the girl? show me the menu there you have the photo of the S/B with a description but at the bottom of the menu in the small print, All pasta is Extra or words to that effect, 

Needless to say we will never go back and lots of friends will never go there, I actually felt sorry for the waitress I think she's had a lot of grief over that. 

[bkkcanuck8]

4 minutes ago, ChipButty said:

We went to an Italian restaurant one Sunday lunch and looking to see what I fancy, OK I'll have that Spaghettis Bolognaise seems reasonable price I forget what the midget ordered, 

Everything was fine enjoyed the food, then we got the bill the Spaghetti was extra, how the <deleted> you work that out I asked the girl? show me the menu there you have the photo of the S/B with a description but at the bottom of the menu in the small print, All pasta is Extra or words to that effect, 

Needless to say we will never go back and lots of friends will never go there, I actually felt sorry for the waitress I think she's had a lot of grief over that. 

Just waiting for a restaurant to sell sandwiches and getting the bill after eating the BLT and... bread was extra...

[ChipButty]

58 minutes ago, bkkcanuck8 said:

Just waiting for a restaurant to sell sandwiches and getting the bill after eating the BLT and... bread was extra...

would be similar 

[thaibeachlovers]

19 hours ago, n00dle said:

Wow. Alot to be unpack there. It's like the balloon chasers of days gone by are back.

Why so negative? If a place doesn't give good value they deserve to be shunned.

[thaibeachlovers]

14 hours ago, ChipButty said:

We went to an Italian restaurant one Sunday lunch and looking to see what I fancy, OK I'll have that Spaghettis Bolognaise seems reasonable price I forget what the midget ordered, 

Everything was fine enjoyed the food, then we got the bill the Spaghetti was extra, how the <deleted> you work that out I asked the girl? show me the menu there you have the photo of the S/B with a description but at the bottom of the menu in the small print, All pasta is Extra or words to that effect, 

Needless to say we will never go back and lots of friends will never go there, I actually felt sorry for the waitress I think she's had a lot of grief over that. 

LOL. Reminds me of the restaurant on one of the islands where I ordered an egg salad and got sliced egg, with nothing else. Had I insisted on the salad part no doubt that would have been extra.

 

Something that really irked me was a restaurant that offered a big breakfast but without baked beans. Baked beans were available as an extra but cost almost as much as the entire full breakfast. Didn't go back there again.

[JayClay]

3 hours ago, thaibeachlovers said:

Something that really irked me was a restaurant that offered a big breakfast but without baked beans. Baked beans were available as an extra

Good. I'm sick of subsidising other people's baked beans when I order my breakfast ????